Manufacturing

A new study from the University of Leeds highlights the regulatory gaps undermining eco-credential standards in the UK textile and fashion industry. It calls for stronger alignment with circular economy principles, enhanced consumer-focused policies, and better reporting systems to improve sustainability across the entire product lifecycle in the post-Brexit era.

The first edition of the Textiles Recycling Expo 2025 in Brussels brought together innovators, brands, policymakers, and recyclers to accelerate circularity in textiles. With cutting-edge recycling technologies on display and calls for robust EU policy frameworks, the event spotlighted the need to scale solutions through business model innovation, financing, and regulatory clarity.

Bangladesh’s garment industry faces mounting pressure to decarbonise amid regulatory shifts and brand climate commitments. Yet, financing, energy infrastructure, and governance gaps hinder progress. A new Apparel Impact Institute report has outlined the critical enablers required for a just transition, from policy reform to capacity building. AII President and CEO Lewis Perkins throws light on programmatic investment and long-term collaboration to future-proof the sector in Bangladesh.

At EU Green Week 2025, leaders reaffirmed that circular economy is not just green policy—it’s Europe’s competitive strategy. From the upcoming Circular Economy Act to fast fashion regulations, the EU aims to reduce resource dependency, boost innovation, and scale circular systems. Now, the focus shifts from ambition to implementation.

Recent court rulings have struck down President Trump's sweeping tariff regime, challenging executive authority over trade policy. The US Court of International Trade found Trump exceeded his powers under emergency legislation, sparking immediate appeals and creating uncertainty across global markets and supply chains.

The UK Government has been urged to adopt a variable EPR system to support and safeguard textiles manufacturing businesses by designing and selling more circular products, and by offering circular services like repair and reuse.

As the fashion industry struggles to firm up a roadmap towards decarbonisation, one of the players that has been pro-active in trying to clean up its supply chain is the H&M Group. Kim Hellström, Senior Sustainability Manager, Climate at the Group speaks at length about the challenges in decarbonising the supply chain.

The leitmotif across panels and presentations at the just-concluded 19th edition of the Textile ETP Annual Conference in the Spanish city of Alcoy was unmistakable: the textile sector is hungry for specifics. Companies—large and small—are calling for clearer guidelines, harmonised standards, and structured pathways to circularity and digital transition.

The European Commission has enforced the much-awaited Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR) for apparel and footwear thus giving this industry segment a standard methodology to calculate product environmental footprints, with specific category requirements.

The Circular Fashion Innovation Network (CFIN) has come out with a landmark report detailing two years of industry-led collaboration to accelerate the UK’s transition to a circular fashion ecosystem.